


The Edge of the Universe

by EastSunRise



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Brotherly Love, Character Study, Coming of Age, Even then it would only happen when Eren is of age, F/M, Fair Warning: I know nothing about NYC, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Grisha and Carla are great parents, Growing Up, I Don't Even Know, Inspired by Carry On, Inspired by Harry Potter, Inspired by Wizards of Waverly Place, Levi/Eren only mentioned/forshadowed, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Set in NYC, Wanted to tag it just case, Wizards and magic, Zeke is THE BEST brother, magic and shenanigans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:42:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29574075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EastSunRise/pseuds/EastSunRise
Summary: Eren sits on the edge of the universe, with a baseball in his hand.(In which, Eren learns the world can be cruel to those it doesn't accept.)OR:What do you do when you were born into a magical and mythical world that doesn't want you? Eren fights back. (Results are inconclusive.)
Relationships: Carla Yeager/Grisha Yeager, Eren Yeager & Zeke Yeager, Levi Ackerman/Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman & Armin Arlert & Eren Yeager
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	1. Promises

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome, welcome! 
> 
> This is an urban fantasy/family/coming of age(?) story all set in NYC. Of course, as I know nothing about NYC I made up an entire fake world to focus on instead, but NYC is still the background setting.  
> (Warnings and tags to be changed as this story may become dark soon, depending on the path I take with it)
> 
> Enjoy, more will come.

_ August 31st, 2005 _

Eren sits on the edge of the universe, with a baseball in his hand. He throws it up, up, up. Pause. Then it falls down and he catches it. He repeats this motion of throw, up, pause, fall, down and catch. Over and over. All on the edge of the universe.

The edge of the universe isn’t as horrifying as you’d think it’d be. Or as awe inspiring. For it isn’t a void of darkness with shining stars, spinning planets, glimmering moons, orbiting asteroids, and waving meteorites. It wasn't a painting of purples and pinks, greens and blues.

No. The edge of the universe is a small curb right in front of his home. A small curb which has been cracked by the hands of time and was stitched up with little sprouts of weeds.

This is where Eren sits, and throws his ball, watches it go up and up, then pause for less than a second, and begin to fall down into the palm of his right hand.

This is where Eren sits and waits. Waits for the tapping of feet against the pavement. For a voice to call out, “Eren! I’m home!” For pale hands to grasp him under the arms and raise him high over the edge of the universe, into the unknown. For green-blue eyes, just like his, to look at him behind funny looking glasses. For a smile, just like his, to announce their excitement to see him. For a crushing hug against a big chest. For a hand to grab his baseball and offer a game of catch, “Show me what you got, little brother.”

Eren waits for that person to come home. He throws his baseball. He sits on the edge of the universe, not daring to cross it just yet.

Soon, the sun begins to drip into the earth, leaving behind stains of pinkish purple. Eren stares at the stains. He looks down the street, left, then right. He throws his ball once more. As it goes up, the door behind him creaks open. Eren misses the pause and the fall and doesn’t catch the ball. Instead, the ball bounces off the curb and rolls down the street.

Eren looks at his mother, who stands in the doorway. Her lips are pinched, and her eyebrows are furrowed.

“Eren, it’s time to come inside now, _Canim_. You know the rules.”

The rules: Never go outside without telling someone. Never stay out late past dark. Never open the door for strangers. Never talk to a stranger or strange people in general, which Eren thought was a weird rule since their family could be considered strange itself. And never cross the street without holding someone's hand, always follow the curb. And if you did have to cross the street in cases of emergency, always look both left and right first.

Those were the rules, at least the ones Eren bothered to remember. Eren never broke them. But he wishes he could right now.

“ _ Ama Anne!  _ He hasn’t come home yet!”

His mother sighs, eyes gazing to the left, as if searching for the person herself. “Eren, Zeke won’t be coming home today. Or tomorrow, or the day after. You know he’s gone off to Paradis, for college.”

Eren knows this, what he doesn’t know is why his brother can’t just come home, then go back to Paradis the next morning. He asks his mother this and she only looks at him with a sad smile.

“ _ Oğlum _ , Zeke’s gone off to college. Remember what your father told you the other day? That Zeke has to stay in Paradis so he can focus on his studies.” She walks down the steps outside their door and kneels next to him. Eren gives her a look of contempt. Mom only flicks his forehead with a smile. “But don't worry. Your brother will always have holidays and some weekends to spend with you and us.”

Eren rubs at the spot she flicked, lips in a pout. “And when’s that?”

His mother gives a look of contemplation before shrugging. “I’m not very sure. But his classes have just started so it probably won’t be for some time now.” She laughs when Eren looks at her with an angry look again. “It’s alright, Eren. Your brother won’t forget you just after a month or two. You’ll still always be his little brother, and he’ll always come back to you. He loves you too much to not, as do your father and I.”

“Promise?” Eren asks in a whisper, eyes wide, and he didn’t know this, but it looked as if the universe itself was circulating around his pupil.

His mother holds out her right pinky. “Promise.”

Eren stares at his, then at his mother, then at the baseball that has come to a halt over the edge of the universe. He wraps his own pinky around his mother’s, and the promise is sealed around their souls.

His mother pats his head, before ushering him inside. He makes a go for his ball, but his mother stops him, saying she’ll get it for him. Eren walks up the steps of his home and crosses through the door, into his own solar system.

*

_ September 1st, 2005 _

Eren wakes up the next day and doesn’t see his brother. He eats cheerios for breakfast, sitting alone at the table, with no big brother for him to kick under the table. His mom drives him to school, and drops him off with a kiss on the head. His brother used to drop him off with a ruffle to his head after a quick hug. He gets through school without much problem. He sits at the back of the class, doodling on his homework. His teacher introduces themselves as Mr.Isayama. Eren doesn’t pay much attention. He sits in the back of the class, right by the window. 

Eren comes home after school and sits at the edge of the universe. Baseball in his hand. Throw. Up. Pause. Fall. Down. Hand. 

When the sun bleeds purple he heads inside.

He does this again the next day, and the day after, and the one after, and all the days that follow. He sits and waits. Always waiting. 

One day, his father sits with him.

“Are you waiting for Zeke?”

“Yep.” He throws the ball up. 

His father is silent for a moment as he goes through the process of catching it. Eren doesn’t mind the silence, it’s nice to just be with his dad.

“Eren,” his father says, “Zeke isn’t going to come back any time soon.”

Eren catches the ball after another through. 

“You don’t know that.”

His father sighs. “But I do, Eren. Zeke is very busy at school. He can’t come home just yet.”

Eren grips his ball. The same ball Zeke had given him before he’d left. Zeke couldn’t come home to them. But that didn’t mean  _ they  _ couldn’t go to  _ him _ .

“Then,” he glances at his father, “can we visit him?” He widens his eyes at his father, who looks conflicted. 

“I- I’m sorry, son, but I don’t think we can do that.”

“Why not!” Eren shouts. What was wrong with that idea? If Zeke was too busy to visit then they could just visit him in turn. Then, Zeke would just have to make time for them, for Eren. It was a good plan! It could work! Unfortunately, his father didn’t seem to think so. 

“Because,” His dad pauses, staring at him. He sighs and takes off his glasses, the same pair Mom jokes around with, putting them on and mocking Dad in a playful manner.

“Because the magical world, including Paradis, isn’t very welcoming towards our family. They don’t-- they don’t like humans with no magical affinities. You remember the story I told you before, yes? Back then, a long time ago, non magical humans feared the magical and creature kind, and hunted them down. That’s why we can’t visit Zeke. Or your grandparents and your aunt.” Eren knew this story, it’d been told to him before, when he was younger and his parents were trying to teach him why they had to keep their powers a secret from their fellow neighbors and friends.. He hated this story.

“Are they-- are the magical people-- are they afraid that Mom and I will hurt them?” Eren asks with a twist of his ball. “Because we’re not magic?”

His father is silent for a moment, and when peeks at him from the corners of his eyes, he looks undeniably sad. 

“Yes. They are.”

“But  _ why? _ Mom and I would never hurt them! You and Zeke, and Grandpa and Grandma and Aunt Faye are magic, and we love you!” 

His father shushes Eren when his voice rises in pitch. It’s still light outside, the sun not setting just yet. The air is dry and thick, the sky a clear blue. Mrs. Cho sits out on her porch, down two houses from theirs, knitting with wooden needles and a pink thread, murmuring in conversation to her cat as she does so. Her cat doesn’t seem to care for the conversation much. Besides her and a few other stragglers down the street, too far to hear the Jaegers, the father and son are alone. Carla is inside, most likely preparing dolma for dinner. 

When Grisha makes sure they’re alone, he speaks, “I know, Eren. We’re family, we all love each other, regardless of our abilities and what we can or can not though. But, Paradis and other magical folk have other views. It’s something that we can’t change, not right now. Trust me, son, many have tried before, but it’s no easy walk in the park.”

Eren stares at his baseball. The same one Zeke had given him about a year ago. It had come with a promise, one he thought Zeke would always keep. Now, he wasn’t so sure.

“So we can’t go see Zeke?” He asks somberly, knowing the answer. 

His father shakes his head. Eren holds his ball in his hands and stares out, trying not to give in to the urge to cry and yell. Dad hugs him close and Eren buries his face on his dad’s chest, feeling the  _ lub-dub _ of his heart. They sit there, on the edge of the universe, holding on to what they can, afraid to lose more than they already have. 

The universe is quite in that moment, letting them have this moment of serenity. 

“Dad,” Eren’s voice is muffled into the chest, but Grisha hears him and hums.

“Do you think, someday, both magical and non magical people can live together? And that we’ll be able to visit Zeke and Grandpa and Grandma and Aunt Faye in Paradise as much as we want?”

It’s quiet for a moment, then his father says, “I like to hope so. And who knows, maybe someday it will happen. Someday,” Grisha looks up into the sky, “we’ll all be together.”

“I’ll make it happen,” Eren promises. “I’ll bring everyone together, and we’ll all live happily ever after. Together. We’ll be free.”

Grisha stares at him in wonder, and Eren wonders for a moment if he’s made an oath he can’t live up to. Then Grisha kisses his head. “That sounds really, Eren. I’ll be looking forward to seeing it happen. Eren smiles back at his father, then at his ball.”

“We’ll be free,” Eren whispers, gazing at his ball, “and I’ll get to play with Zeke again.”

Someday, when the world is more forgiving, they’ll be together. They’ll just have to wait a little longer until then. 

*

_ Pa _ _ st _

When Eren had been younger, maybe six, maybe less, he’d been fascinated by magic. He’d been born into it after all, so he was used to it in a sense, comfortable with its presence. But, as he grew older he wished he could do magic in the way his father and brother could. He wished he could enchant flowers to grow for his mother like his father could. He wished he could conjure a ball of light with mere words like his brother could. He wished he could spell the dishware and furniture to dance and sing for his mom like they did in that one Disney movie. He wished he was magic. 

So he begged and begged his parents to show him how to do spells and, “make magic happen!” His dad was just as eager to show him, but he distinctively remembered his mother’s worry of his control, “It’s too soon for all that, Grisha. He’s just started first grade, for crying out loud.”

His father had only said, “I think we should let him, Carla. After all, magic is a part of who he is, and we, as his parents, need to support and love that part of him as well.”

Except, magic wasn’t a part of who he was at all. 

His family had tried teaching him. Taught him how to light and extinguish a candle. How to change the color of a red apple to green. How to levitate his toys into the toy box after he finished playing with them. None of it worked. 

“Maybe he’s just too young, let’s wait till he’s a little older.” So they waited a year.

Nothing happened. Eren didn’t understand why he couldn’t do what his father and brother could. After all, he was magic too, right? He should be able to do what they could. 

Eren was taken to Paradis for the first at the age of seven. He remembered little of how they got there, just that they’d stepped onto a bright box and when they left the box, they’d been in a new world. Eren only remembers creatures with a chest and face of a human but the lower half of a horse, one with elongated ears, one with an extra eye at the center of their forehead, and a strange, gray man with elongated teeth. That last one had creeped him out and he’d hid his face in his father’s shoulder. 

He would also remember later on, for he was much too excited to notice at the time, that his mother had not come with them, only his father and he had gone. Which was odd since they were apparently visiting a doctor, and both his parents usually went with him when they did so. Eren didn’t understand it then, and he still doesn’t now. But he will someday.

His father took him to a doctor. Or that’s what his father had called them. Eren didn’t remember much about them, except that they had dark, droopy eyes, that stared at him with a curious tilt of the head. The doctor had sat him down on a backless chair and stood behind him. They held a strange stick in their hand and had pressed it against the back of his neck. Eren tensed..

“Now, Eren, do you feel anything when I do this?” The doctor pressed the stick down harder, it was warm. 

“Warm,” he said. 

The doctor hummed, “Your neck is warm?”

“No. The stick is.” The doctor had paused and shared a look with his father, who held a look of distress. Eren didn’t understand why he looked so upset.

The doctor slid the stick further down his nape, with the same insistent pressure, “Now?”

“Still warm. The stick, not my neck.”

“Do you feel any tingling?” No.

“Do you feel any shock, like something hit your neck very quickly?” No.

“Do you feel ticklish?” A little, but Eren was ticklish in general.

The doctor had only hummed and slid the stick further down along Eren’s spine, repeating the questions and receiving the same answers. After some time the doctor stopped and patted him on the head, telling him he did good. When Eren had looked to his father in question, the man had only forlorn smile at him. Then he stepped out the door with the doctor, closing it behind them. 

Eren sat in the chair, kicking his feet. He wanted to go home. He didn’t like it here. He was hungry. He wanted to learn how to do magic with his brother.

His father had taken him home after they were done. When Eren asked his dad if he had done something wrong, while they sat in a cab, his father looked at him in shock. 

“No, of course not,” he’d said and squeezed a hand on Eren’s shoulder. “You’ve done nothing wrong, son. Nothing is your fault, never think otherwise.”

When they’d returned home, Eren saw the looks on his family’s face, the shock, the sadness, the pity, and thought his father was wrong. Because why else would they look like that, if he hadn’t done anything wrong? He must have been some sort of mistake. Maybe he didn’t answer the doctor’s answers correctly? But Dad always said to be as truthful as possible when a doctor asked questions, and his dad should know he was a witch doctor!

Then his parents sat him down, and Eren felt his world shatter. 

The reason Eren couldn’t do magic was because he himself wasn’t magic. 

“You’re lying!”

Eren had leaped off the living room couch and sprinted down the hall for the door, his mother calling out for him but he’d only ignored it. He jumped over the stairs and stood on the edge of that cracked curb. Looking over the edge of the universe. 

Because that’s what it was. An edge to the impossible. Something he could never cross. 

“Eren?” It was his brother, Zeke, who had come out after him. Eren scrubbed his face furiously with his arm, sniffling, and hating himself for it just a little. 

“Go away.”

He sat down on the edge, back to his brother. It was dark, the sky pitch black, no stars to shine down and guide Eren. There were only the street lights and the glow from the house porchlight to help him see what little he could. Eren wasn’t supposed to be out dark, but he didn’t care much for that at the moment. Eren shivered and tried to hide his sniffles and tears. Those wouldn’t do him any good. 

“Are you ok?” Zeke asked as he sat beside Eren, keeping his hands to himself for the moment. Zeke was quite the hugger when it usually came to Eren.

“No,” Eren said, “I’m mad.” And he was. He was mad that people thought he couldn’t do magic. He was mad that he himself couldn’t do magic. He was mad that  _ he wasn’t magic.  _

“Ah,” Zeke said, “That’s ok, you can be mad. I know you really wanted to learn how to do magic.”

Eren didn’t reply back, eyes on a small, murky puddle a few steps away. 

“Hey, Eren, you want to see a trick?” Said Zeke, and when Eren looked at him he had this wistful smile on his face. Eren nodded, albeit a little reluctantly for he was feeling a little too down to be fully excited by the prospect of seeing a trick. Zeke leaned over to the side and ripped off some of the agitation weed nestled into the cracked pavement. He raised it up to Eren’s eye level, and with a flick and roll of his wrist, created magic.

Eren gasped as the green plant shimmered and sparked, and in the next blink there was a baseball in place of the weeds. The baseball was clean and crystalling white. A never used, brand new ball. “Wow!”

Zeke grinned at his reaction. “Neat, huh? Mr.Ksaver showed me this one.”   
His previous anger and sadness forgotten, Eren only praised his brother who was, as always, amazing. “That’s so cool, Zeke! I wish I could do that!”

Eren paused, then lowered his head, “But I can’t. I’m not magic.”

Zeke’s grip on the ball went white knuckled, before he exhaled. “Here.” He pushed the ball towards Eren, who gave him a confused look.

“Huh? But, it’s yours, Zeke.”

Zeke shook his head, “No, I made it for you. So it’s yours, take it.”

Eren hesitantly took the ball. “You sure.” A nod. “Thanks, Zeke. You’re the best big brother in the whole wide world!” Eren wrapped his arms around his brother’s neck, ball gripped in his right hand, who wrapped his around Eren in return. 

“And you’re the best little brother in the whole wide world, you know that?” 

“I know! You always tell me that!”

“Well, that’s because it’s true. I can’t tell lies to you now.” Eren giggled and tightened his arms. Zeke grunted. “Wow, you’ve got quite the grip there. Are you getting stronger?” Another giggle, this accompanied by a wide spille, showing off Eren’s missing tooth. Zeke chuckled with him and soon the two were trading pokes and prods, a tangled mess of limbs and laugher. 

“Stop, Zeke, it-- it tickles!”

“Oh, yeah? Well then guess I should keep doing it hu-- Ow! You little--”

Sometime later, the two quieted down. They were still huddled close, seeking warmth and comfort from the biting chill of New York City nights. 

“Hey, Eren?” Zeke whispered into the night. Eren hummed a quiet “yeah,” twisting the baseball in his hand. Zeke glanced down at Eren, eyes soft and his smile small.

“You may not have magic, but you’ll always have me. Never forget that, ok?” 

Eren could only stare at his brother, eyes wide and his chest soaring. He felt like he was on the edge of the universe, peeking over into the unknown, with nothing but his big brother’s arms holding him safe. It was the best feeling he’d ever had. Like he could jump off over the edge of the universe and Zeke would be right there beside him.

“Ok.” A shared smile, and the ball in Eren’s hand warmed. 


	2. Freaks and Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren makes a friend, and gets into a couple fights along the way. 
> 
> OR: Kids are cruel and being different is hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta'd and probably has mistakes that I am too tired to fix right now. Sorry but I'm kinda stressing over some major exams of mine.
> 
> Enjoy tho! This chapter has some good moments I hope.

_ September 15th, 2005 _

Eren couldn’t take his baseball to school. He tried to, when Zeke first gave it to him. He’d wanted to show it off and play with it, because sometimes school could just be  _ so boring. _ But Zeke told him that he couldn’t. Said the teachers might take it away because it was ‘distracting,’ and Eren could just play with it when school was over. So, Eren left his ball at home. And went about his school days with boredom. 

Eren didn’t have any friends. His peers, and his teachers, were uninteresting. They weren’t magic. They didn’t have any cool tricks. They also didn’t seem to like him, which was also a factor. So, Eren was an outcast at school. Not that he minded much. Some of the learning subjects were interesting and fun, and he learned from his teachers. But playing with and talking to his classmates outside of necessity wasn’t something Eren really thought of. Eren didn’t find it necessary to have friends. He also doesn’t really know how to make friends but, again, he didn’t care for having them in the first place.

In fact, when Eren makes his first ever friend, he doesn’t even know he’s doing so. He’s just curious as to why his peers have taken such an interest in this new kid. Well, interest probably isn’t the right word to describe the situation. Bullying is the correct term, but Eren isn’t too sure he didn’t really pay much attention to the long behavioral lessons their teacher gave them on “Treating others with respect and how we would want others to treat us.” One, it was kind of boring, Eren already knew how to treat others with respect and blah blah. Two, Eren was seated right next to the class window, and the sky had looked  _ really  _ nice, so of course he had begun to daydream about playing catch with Zeke. His older brother used to take him to the park on days just like that, before he’d left for college, and would use his cool tricks and magic to make Eren laugh and bubble over with happiness. Now, though, Eren wishes he’d paid more attention, because this was starting to look a lot like bullying, and he had know idea what to do.

It’s recess, a break time for teachers and playtime for students. Eren’s entire grade level is outside, running around the playground, down the slides, high on the swings, hovering onto monkey bars. Just imagine a nice, clear blue sky, and screaming children at a park and you would have the perfect picture of what stands in front of Eren. But Eren isn’t paying attention to any of that. No, he’s on the swings, which are situated farthest from the door of the school building all the teachers are standing by, mingling with one another, probably gossiping about their students and their personal lives. And right there, in front of the swings, but hidden behind a large, red slide, is a confrontation. Of sorts.

“You know, your hair looks really stupid. I mean come on, it’s so loo~oong! You look like a  _ girl _ ! My dad says boys who look like girls are a bunch of wusses! I guess he was right.” Randall Rogers, dark hair, brown eyes, cocky smirk that reminds Eren of cartoon villains, and red cheeks, is a humongous  _ jerk _ . And all of Mr.Isayama’s homeroom class knew it. Randall is currently sneering in the face of a smaller boy, in a blue jacket, that Eren thinks is the exact shade of blue the sky was when Zeke had first played catch with him, and brown trousers. The boy is quiet, not meeting Randall’s cruel eyes. Eren sits still on the swing closest to the boys, watching as the new kid grips a book close to his chest. 

“My mom says boys who look and act like girls are weird,” Nathan, a blond boy with slicked back hair, chimes in. Nathan’s mom was a real piece of work, something Eren heard his mother say once at a parent-teacher meeting. She didn’t sound happy when she said it, so Eren knows she probably didn’t mean it in a positive way.

“Well,  _ my  _ parents say boys who dress like girls are  _ freaks. _ ” A third boy, by the name of Jimmy, says, emphasizing the last word with a tone of scorn. Eren and the boy flinch simultaneously at the word. The boy looks up at the three in horror, hugging a book close to his chest, fingers gripping the sides with harsh ferocity. The three boys have him backed up against the red slide. 

“I’m--I’m not a freak…” The boy mumbles in a quiet voice. Eren is surprised he can hear him from the swing, what with the loud screams of their flailing classmates running all around them. 

“Yes, you are! My mom said it to me, she wouldn’t lie to me!” Jimmy gets closer in the boy’s space. “You’re a freak! That’s why you have stupid long hair and act weird all the time!”

“Yeah, exactly,” exclaimed Randall, following in Jimmy’s footsteps, “face it, you’re a freak. So is your mom and dad, for you letting be born into such a freak!” 

The three boys continue mocking the boy, who only stands there, tears dripping onto the playground floor. Eren watches in guilt and confusion, wondering why? Why isn’t he fighting back? Why isn’t he denying what they’re saying? Doesn’t he know that him not fighting back only makes the three push him harder?

“Freak!” Nathan yells pushing the boy back against the slide. The boy grunts in pain, or maybe shock, sliding down on his knees, his blond hair and bangs covering his eyes. He still clings to the book like a lifeline. The boy doesn’t get up, staying crouched down, eyes focused on Jimmy’s red Nikes. Eren only sits there, confused.

_ Why? _

“Hey, what’s  _ this? _ ” Randall takes notice of the book and snatches it, holding it out of the boy’s reach. 

_ Why doesn’t he run away? Why? _

The blond kid finally stands up and cries out, “Give it back!”

The three bullies, Eren’s pretty sure they’re bullies at this point, ignore the kid and open up the book, peering inside.

“Huh? What’s it say?”

“I don’t know, I think it’s like a fantasy book.”

_ Run away. Go. Find a teacher. Now.  _

“Give it back! My grandpa gave it to me! Give it!” The boy’s voice trembles in panic. Eren leans to the left and glances over to the teachers, who don’t seem to be aware of what’s happening behind the slide. He looks back at his four peers again, eyebrows furrowed. He can’t go up to them and start a fight, his parents will be upset with him. Mom said to be good in school, and not to cause trouble. Dad said he should be nice and play with the other kids. Zeke told him to learn a lot and have fun. He won’t be doing any of that by getting involved with this. He doesn’t want to upset his parents and brother by getting hurt or hurting other kids. But still. 

“Geez, your Grandpa must be a freak, too, if he’s giving you such boring and weird books. It doesn’t even have pictures!” Says Jimmy, flipping through the book with a twisted face.

But still. Mom always says to protect those that can’t protect themselves. Dad always tells him to help others up when they’ve fallen. Aunt Faye always says lending a helping hand is the fastest way to make someone’s day. 

The boy only panics more. “Give it back! Please! Just give it back!” He reaches out for it with weak, trembling arms. “Please! I can’t lose it!”

_ If he’s not going to run, then why not fight back? _

_ Come on _ , Eren thinks _ , fight. Fight back.  _

Jimmy, Randall, and Nathan only continue to mock the kid, taunts of “freak” and “weirdo” flying out of their mouths, right along their spit. It quickly escalates and soon they’re pushing and prodding the boy, much too harshly to be passed off as a joke. 

_ Why isn’t he fighting back? _

The boy takes it with silent tears, mumbling over and over, “Please just give it back.”

Randall laughs at him, loud and cruel. “It’s just a book! Why are you getting so upset? Don’t tell me you like reading  _ that  _ much?” Eren openly glares at the back of his head. Zeke liked books, so did Eren. Eren’s parents always read to Eren before bed, although they did less so now that Eren told them he was too old for that. But, books were ok. Reading was also really fun sometimes. Randall was probably just jealous he couldn’t read.

The blond boy sputters, arms reaching out for his book in desperation. “It’s my book! Give it back! Please! My grandpa gave me that book! Please, just give it back!” He has tears in his eyes and his lips are curled. 

_ Doesn’t he know not fighting back only makes the three push back harder? _

_ Fight back! Fight! _

“Haha, look he’s crying! Over a book!” Nathan points at the boy’s obvious tears of distress, pure bliss and happiness shining in his own eyes. “What a freak!”

“Hey!” The four freeze, then slowly turn to look at Eren. Who was apparently the one to yell out. Eren stands up from his swing seat, and marches up to the trio.

“Give him back his book.” He says with as much menace as he can. Guess he’s going to disappoint his parents today. But, hey, they’ll understand. Zeke probably won’t be mad at him, just worried. He can deal with that, even if he isn’t exactly happy with it. Zeke can be a very annoying worrier. So can Mom and Aunt Faye, probably where Zeke gets it from.

“Oh, yeah?” Says Jimmy, taking the book from Randall. “Why should we listen to two freaks?”

The boy is looking at him with big eyes, and when Eren makes eye contact they only widen more. 

“You say that word a lot. Do you even know what it means?”

“Sure, we do,” Randall replies with that oh so annoying smirk. “A freak is a weirdo, like  _ Armin  _ over here, and stupid loner, like  _ you. _ ”

“We’re not freaks.  _ You three _ are the actual freaks, since you’re the ones who enjoy making fun of and hurting other people.” Eren crosses his arms just like his mother does to express her disappointment, just like Aunt Faye does to show how unimpressed she is.

Jimmy rolls his eyes, “Sounds like what a fellow freak would say.”

“Yeah, go away, Eren. Not like you’re needed or wanted here.” Says Nathan.

Eren takes another step forward, face in a scowl. “Not until you give the book back.”

“We already said no. So go away.” Randall huffs and turns back to the blond boy, Armin, who cowers back. Eren growls at being ignored, ready to rush forward and throw Randall onto the floor and make him bleed for being such an annoying a-

The bell rings, and a bunch of kids collectively let out a drawn out and whiny “Awww.”

“Aw, man! Already?” Randall gripes. “Come on, let's leave these losers.” He runs off towards the door, Nathan right behind him. Jimmy sprints after them, but not before shouting, “here, take it!” and throwing the book onto the floor.

Armin wipes at his face, sniffling quietly, as he reaches for his book. He picks it up with gentle fingers, caressing the front cover, and mumbles a “thanks.” Eren furrows his eyebrows at the blond.

“Why didn’t you run away?” He asks, confused.

Armin looks at him, “Because then they would win.”

Eren is only more confused. “Then fight back. They’re only bullying you because you don’t fight back, you know.”

“I know,” the kid whispers, staring down at his book. Eren looks at it, but can’t read it upside down.

“Is that your book? What’s it about?”

Armin only mumbles somberly, “Just a fantasy world. Nothing real, or interesting, or cool.”

Then why be so upset over it? Why cry and yell for it with such a desperate voice? Oh, Eren realises, it’s because his grandfather had given it to him. It was just like his baseball. Zeke had given it to him, and Eren would hate to lose it. It must be the same way for this boy. Maybe they were the same, Eren and Armin.

“I’m Eren.” The blond looks up at him from under his bangs. He watches Eren with careful eyes, and Eren is reminded of his dad’s face whenever he’s reading one of his medical or herbal books.

After a slight pause, he goes, “I’m Armin.”

“BOYS! LET’S GO. INSIDE, NOW!” A yell from across the playground, and the two boys share a look before sprinting towards the school building.

“Nice to meet you.” Eren says as he enters the building, a smile on his face.

*

_ Interlude _

_ After Zeke’s Departure _

Eren misses Zeke. A lot. He keeps the baseball on the counter beside his bed, right next to his clock. Whenever he thinks of Zeke, and feels that pang in his chest, which his dad told him, “no, Eren, you don’t have heart problems. You just miss your brother,” Eren just takes the ball and sits outside. He sometimes takes his homework, only sometimes though, and throws the ball up, up, up, watches it pause then fall in his palm, and repeats. When it gets dark, he goes inside, although usually his mother has to drag him in by the ear, and eats dinner. 

He misses his brother. He dreams of throwing the ball across his room and a hand catching it, then a smile, then a “Wanna play, Eren?” He wishes for eyes, the same color as his, to make contact with his across the dinner table, smiling at him as they watch their mother nag their father for whatever reason. Wishes for hands that tickled his sides, that threw him in the air and caught him, safe and sound. 

He misses having someone with him. He misses not being so alone.

*

_ September 16th, 2005 _

“Hello,” Armin says to him. Eren looks down from his cloud watching and looks at the blond boy. His feet kick back and forth from where he sits upon his swing.

“Hi,” Eren says with a wave, itching to throw a ball into the air. Armin doesn’t have his book with him, probably kept it home today. 

“Can I sit?” Armin motions to the empty swing beside him. It is always empty whenever Eren sits here. Always. Eren looks from the empty swing to the hopeful face. 

“Sure.” It didn’t always have to be empty, Eren supposes.

*

_ Interlude _

Eren sits on the edge of the universe. It’s quiet. Eren is alone. He’s waiting, still. 

Still waiting.

He waits until the sun falls. 

*

_ September 19th, 2005 _

“What’s in your book?” He asks Armin on Monday. The boy has the same book in his hands, and he discreetly hides it under his desk when Eren starts eyeing it. It’s early in the morning, and school hasn’t officially started. Students mull around and Mr.Isayama stands at the classroom door welcoming students in. Eren had passed by Armin, who had been at his desk when Eren had walked in, and noticed the book. It had a brown leathery cover, with carvings that Eren couldn’t read engraved on the spine.

“Uh, nothing interesting. Just stories.”

“Really? What kind?”

Armin looks to the left and says with a smile, “The magical kind. Nothing cool.”

“Really!” Eren leans over Armin’s desk. “But that’s so cool! My dad and brother can do-- I mean my dad and brother read me magical stories all the time!”

Armin appears surprised by Eren’s reaction, staring at the brunette with wide eyes, as if seeing him for the first time. “Really? Do you like them?”

Eren nods vigorously, imagining all the bedtime stories his dad, and later on Zeke, would tell him. Of how Paradis came to be, of Werewolves under full moons, of fairies and life, of dragons and heroes. Of another world Eren wishes he could see someday. Maybe even be a part of it too.

Armin opens his mouth and starts to speak but is quickly interrupted by the shutting of the door; Mr.Isayama ordering students to return to their assigned seats as class begins. Eren smiles at Armin before walking to his seat, head spinning with his favorite tale, the Titans and Avians and their one hundred year war. Of how so many suffered at the hands of cruel Titans, but all were saved by angel-like Avians, who were said to have flown down from the heavens.

Just as he’s walking a foot slides between the desks Eren walks by and promptly trips him. Laughter rings around him as he flails and lands on his side. Eren glares up at the perpetrator, the one and only Randall. 

“Hey--”

“Eren, get back to your seat,” Mr.Isayama says. “Randall, we don’t trip people in this class. Apologize before I send your father a lengthy email.”

Randall scoffs, turning his nose up and staring down at Eren. “Sorry,” he says, not sounding sorry at all.

Eren wants to punch him, but decides not to and sits down at his seat two rows back. He crosses his arms and fumes silently. He catches Armin’s eye, who has turned around in his seat to look back at him concerningly. Eren nods at him and turns to the window, wishing to be back home, with Dad, and  _ Anne _ , and Zeke. Wishes for his brother to come back and just play catch with him. Wishes to be told stories of the great Avians and their mighty wings, of how they soared above the clouds and swooped down, slicing down the giants. Wishes for a world different from this one. Wishes for something. 

Something. He wishes for something, but he’s not sure what. The day is cloudy, and Eren imagines having wings and flying up, up, up. His chest tightens. 

Eren wishes for wings. Eren wishes to fly. 

*

_ Past _

“Tell me the story, pleee-ease!” 

“I don’t know, Eren. I don’t think  _ Anne  _ would be ok with me telling you the story, again. It’s not exactly a nice and happy bedtime story.”

“Please, please, please, Zeke! You gotta tell it! It’s the best one!”

“I thought the story about the Great Monkey King was the best one? You used to love that story when Dad told it.”

“Not anymore, this is the best one now! So you have to tell me!”

“What about  _ The Horse-Dew and the Witch _ ?  _ Anne  _ loved telling that story to you.”

“Who wants to hear a story about a girl marrying a stupid horse who’s actually a prince? I want to hear the one about the titans! Zeeee-eke! Come one!”

“Oh, ok, ok. I’ll tell you, but  _ only  _ if you promise that you’ll let me tell you a different one tomorrow night.”

“Promise! Now, start!”

“Alright. There once were two kinds of humans. Ones who flew down from the sky, and ones who rose from the earth. And, it is said, two thousand years ago, there was a great war…”

The narrator goes on with his story. The listener sits and hears with intent. A strange ball sits in the young listener’s hands. He does not know what it holds, just that it is a gift. A gift for him, one of magic and love. It warms his hands, but he does not give the strange heat much thought. He concentrates on his brother’s words, of winged angels and giant devils. Of war and slavery. Of peace and freedom. He doesn’t know, in his young, naive age, that it is only a bedtime story. Meant for children like him to hear and fall asleep too. There is no truth to it. Only meaning. A classic hero versus villain story. Nothing more, nothing less. 

*

_ September 21st, 2005 _

“Man, you look  _ so much  _ like a girl!” Nathan laughs at recess. Eren seriously doesn’t understand why that seems like such a bad thing. When Eren used to have long hair as a younger child, everyone told him he looked just like his mom, who was a girl, and Eren loved it. His mom was really nice looking, everyone always said she was so pretty. 

“I know, right? A real  _ freak _ .” Jimmy sneers at Armin, who looks scared, and Eren jumps him behind the large, red slide. Jimmy yells, Nathan and Randall stand there frozen, unsure what to do. Randall knows from experience how hard Eren could punch, and how relentless he is. 

Armin stares in shock. He doesn’t run away or fight. But that’s alright, Eren can fight back for him now.

*

“Eren Jaeger, what were you thinking!?” His mother raises her voice as she stands over him at the kitchen table. Eren can only glance at her guiltily, twisting his ball nervously in his hands. 

“I’m sorry, _ Anne _ . I was just trying to stop him from bullying someone else.”

Carla gives him a look, then wipes the dirt from his cheeks with a warm,wet cloth. “Well, that’s very heroic of you, honey. But, instead of fighting these bullies, you should be telling your teacher about them. Fighting a mean boy won’t solve anything.”

Eren silently disagrees with her, fighting with a mean boy got that mean boy a nice right hook to the face. That solves the boy’s talking too much issue, at least momentarily. Also, Eren doesn’t think Armin would really appreciate Eren telling the teachers’ about his situation, so Eren will just have to be tight lipped for now.

“Don’t get into any more fights, ok?” 

“Ok.”

She ruffles his hair and says, “Good. Now go do your homework or no dinner. And no going outside until your suspension is over.”

Eren groans and slumps in the kitchen chair. “ _ A~aane _ .”

“Hey, now, Mister, you got suspended remember? Which means you’re grounded, so no going outside and homework before dinner. Those are the rules.”

Another groan, loud and drawn out. “Fine.”

“And make sure to keep it down, Eren. You’re father’s in his office with a patient, right now. We don’t want to disturb them. _Tamam?_ ”

*

“I heard you got suspended today? For fighting a kid?” Eren gazes out his bedroom window, watching the orange and purple sky, hiding his face from his father’s knowing gaze. He couldn’t wait outside for Zeke.

“Eren,” his father says in a stern voice, kneeling down in front of his bed. Eren turns reluctantly to meet his eyes. The same turquoise color stares back. “Son, you know fighting is wrong. You shouldn’t hit other people, no matter what.” 

Eren pouts, crossing his arms, and mumbles,“they had it coming. They called someone a freak.”

Dad’s eyes widen, “Oh? Why?”

“I don’t know.” Eren shrugs. “Because he’s new? Because he’s different? They called him a freak because he looks like a girl, even though he’s really a boy.” 

Grisha sighs and sits on Eren’s bed. “Well, they-those bullies- are wrong.”

“And mean.”

Dad smiles. “Yes, and mean. What’s the boy’s name, the one who was being bullied and called a freak?”

“Armin.”

“Armin...Armin. Do you like Armin?”

Eren shrugs. “I guess. He’s nice to me. And really smart. He got a hundred on the reading quiz today.” Eren didn’t usually pay attention to what grades others got, but Mr.Isayama had gushed about Armin and how great he had done. “Amazing job, Armin!” He’d said. Eren doesn’t remember ever being congratulated like that before, and he’s gotten one-hundreds loads of times! Zeke always helped him do his homework and explained anything that confused Eren, and he always tried to do well on quizzes to make Zeke proud.

His dad nods and says, “That’s good. You should try being nice to him too.” Eren looks at his father as if to say, “I  _ am  _ nice to him! And other people!” Grisha only chuckles and smooths out the wrinkles on Eren’s toy story themed blankets. 

“Eren. Son, know that I am proud of you for standing up for someone. Really, you were brave and kind for wanting to help Armin against his bully.  _ But _ .” Eren huffs. There’s always a ‘but.’ “Fighting and getting yourself suspended isn’t the right way to do so. It isn’t going to help you by making you miss school, and it’s not going to help Armin stop his bullies. Next time, tell your teacher, don’t try to confront the bullies by yourself. Ok?”

Eren tries not to whine. He knows it won’t do him any good. But, he knows his dad is wrong. Fighting Jimmy, and Nathan, and Randall helps because it shows them that he’s not backing down. It tells them Eren isn’t going to let them be cruel any longer. Telling a teacher won’t help, because Eren had done so before back when Randall was being a jerk back in third grade, and nothing had changed. Randall had gotten a talking to, but he’d only turned around the next day and pushed Eren off his swing. The only thing that had stopped him was when Eren had had enough and taken the boy head on, pushing him back and throwing hard punches. Then, Randall had backed down after both of them had been suspended.

But Eren doesn’t tell his dad any of that. He can’t. Dad wouldn’t understand. He’d probably want to talk to his teacher or Randall’s parents, and Eren didn’t want that. Mom would also be upset, she’d tell him he should always listen to adults. Zeke would probably just tell him to be careful and to always come to his big brother if anyone’s causing him any trouble. Eren never did go to Zeke, but he liked knowing he could.

So instead, Eren says, “Ok, Dad. I get it.”

*

After his father leaves, Eren lays on his bed, facing the ceiling. His baseball rests beside his head.

“Sorry I couldn’t wait for you today, Zeke.” 

The ceiling is enchanted to show stars and constellations. Eren has multiple constellations, all based on his family’s zodiac signs. Pisces rests in the center, Leo right beside it, Aquarius hangs out further down, and Sagittarius hops around. Zeke had done so for him, said it was so Eren could always have his family watching over him. Eren had told him having his family watch him sleep was kind of creepy. Zeke had laughed then gone to discuss the spell with their dad. Eren had ended up loving it. 

“I promise, as soon as  _ Anne  _ ungrounds me, I’ll be right out waiting for you.” Leo’s Regulus seems to twinkle a little bright, as if to say, “it’s ok, little brother. I understand.”

“Is Paradis fun? How’s college? Is it boring? I bet it is. Do you visit Grandpa and Grandma? I miss them. And you, too. Visit soon ok? I really wanna play catch again. Dad tries to play but he’s not that good, and  _ Anna  _ throws too hard.”

Eren falls asleep under the stars, comforted by the protective Leo

*

_ September 26th, 2005 _

“Hey, Eren. Welcome back.”

“Hi, Armin.”

…

“Um, hey, Armin? Do you know what the answers for numbers five and seven were on the math homework? I would've asked my mom for help, but she was nagging me too much because of the, uh, you know, the fight…”

A smile, wide and happy. “Sure!”

* 

_ September 25th, 2005 _

Eren had spent his first day officially ungrounded outside. It was a Sunday, a chilly day in Fall. Eren liked fall. He liked watching the leaves change from greens attached to dark bark and branches to oranges that fall, fall, fall. 

He was only grounded for four days before his parents decided they couldn’t bear to punish him any longer. 

“It’s getting colder, we should let him have as much time outside as possible,” his father told his mother. She hesitated for a moment, before looking over at Eren, who had his face pressed against the living room window, curtains pushed back. “Ok,” She said.

The leaves haven’t started falling yet, “too early for that,” Dad said. But they were changing colors, which was always a sure sign for a cause in season. That and the chilly air. 

Eren shivered and pulled his red scarf to his nose. His mother had woken him up and wrapped a brand new scarf she had made herself, then told him to go on outside. Eren had done so with some reluctance, mostly because he was tired from just waking up.

So there he sat. On the edge, watching as the universe changes from greens to oranges. From bright and vivid to soft and dreary almost. He has his ball as well. He didn’t throw it up, though. Instead, he sits there and watches the changes. The sky is grey. Eren was still waiting, but he’s realized by now he’s waiting for someone who won’t come. 

He kind of wished Armin was there, it would be nice to have a friend--were they friends-- sit down with him. Maybe then Armin would show him his Grandpa’s book? Eren was curious about what’s in it. Randall had described it as boring with no pictures, but Eren didn’t care for Randall’s opinion. Maybe he could ask Armin to come over one day. But, would his parents be ok with that? Eren’s never had a friend to bring over before. 

“Hey, Zeke?” Cold air bit at his cheeks, leaving them red. Eren raised his ball up, staring at it as he talked. “How-how do you make a friend? I don’t really know how, but I think I want to try.” 

No one and nothing replies back. Mr. Hernandez walked his dog across the street. 

“Do you… do you think I should just be nicer? Like Dad says?” Eren sunk his teeth into his lip, clutching the ball tightly. Maybe he should try to be friendlier. Maybe he’ll talk to Armin more about his books and his grades. Maybe he’ll push him high on the playground swings just like Zeke does for him at the park? Maybe he’ll run around with Armin, up the stairs, down the slide, across the monkey bars. Maybe.

Nodding to himself, Eren stood up and marched up the stairs. His ball warmed his hands, and the universe had waved goodbye to him with the wind.

*

_ September 29th, 2005 _

“Just ignore them, Eren. You already got in trouble. You don’t need to get into more.”

“But they keep calling you a freak! That’s not right!” 

“I know… But it’s ok. It doesn’t matter. Maybe I am a freak, and they’re right.”

“Don’t say that! You’re not a freak! They’re just mean, and for no reason! Don’t believe what they say! ”

“But, it’s true. I am a freak, because I’m weird and I dress weird and I look weird.”

“Well, I think you’re cool!”

“...Really?”

“Yeah! You’re so cool! You’re smart and blond and nice like my big brother, Zeke! And he’s the coolest person I know!”

“Are you sure? What if I’m not actually cool, you just think I am…”

“Trust me, if you’re anything like Zeke, then you’re the coolest!”

*

_Interlude_

“Zeke? Why… Why do people laugh when others get hurt? Why do they call them freaks?” Zeke doesn’t reply. Eren throws up his baseball. 

He can’t get the word out of his head. It’s all he hears whenever he goes to school. It wouldn’t bother him if he could just knock a couple head down. But, Armin refuses to fight back or run away, so the others like to hurt him relentlessly with those cold words. Eren doesn’t get it. He understands that they like to hurt Armin because he’s so easy to hurt, that’s easy to know. What he doesn’t d=understand is why do they find so much joy in it? Nathan’s laughter as he points at Armin’s tears. Jimmy’s excited eyes as he mocks and calls out, “Freak!” Randall’s joyful,  _ stupid  _ smirk as he taunts and taunts. The kids in the background, giggling. 

“They laugh at him. At me. They don’t like us, so they call us freaks.” He catches his ball, grasps it between two hands and squeezes  _ hard _ . “I  _ hate  _ it. All they do is hurt Armin. And they enjoy it.”

It burns something inside of Eren. Lights it up, fans the flames. It calls to him, orders him to fight back  _ for  _ Armin. Protect Armin. Save Armin. Because no one else will. Eren burns with anger, and he thinks of the Avians and the Titans. Randall and them are the titans, beasts from the ground, rising to walk all over the innocent. And Eren. Eren will be the Avian, the guardian angel if he has to be. 

“I won’t let them. I’ll help Armin, just like how you always help me, Zeke. Afterall, he’s my friend.”

Yeah. Eren will help save Armin. Over and over again if he has to. He won’t fall down to these dumb Titans.

*

_ September 30th, 2005 _

“So, son. How’s school? Learn anything new?” Classic caring dad question. Eren shrugs and spoons some biryani into his mouth. 

“Good. We’re learning how to do long division.” His parents nod along as they give him attention. “Oh, and I made a friend, I guess.”

His mom chokes on the biryani. “ _ Ne,  _ really? A friend?”

His dad smiles at him and ruffles his hair. “That’s great, Eren. I’m glad you’re making some friends.”

“Oh my god, honey, you have to tell Zeke! He’ll be so happy!” Mom says to Dad, who sighs and nods as if to say, “yes, hun, I know.”

Eren gives his mother a weird look, then goes back to his food. “Wow,  _ Anne _ . This  _ biryani  _ is really good!  _ Cok lezzetli! _ ”

*

_ October 5th, 2005 _

“Hey, Eren?”

“Yeah?”

“Are we friends?”

“Um, yeah? I already told my parents and brother, so we definitely are.”

“Oh, ok! Cool! I told my grandpa too, if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind. Why would I?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations: Turkish-English  
> Anne: Mom  
> Tamam: Ok/Alright  
> Ne: What  
> Cok lezzeti: Very tasty/delicious  
> *  
> Here comes Armin! Eren's first and bestest friend! God can you guys tell I wrote this story just to gush about the Jaegerbros relationship and Jaeger family as a whole? Like I swear that's not where this story even remotely started out but here we are. I just love them all too much and canon wasn'r fair to any of them. (Then again, canon isn't fair to anyone.)
> 
> Also the story of The Horse-Dew and the Witch is an actual Turkish folktale I believe? It might be a middle eastern/Muslim one well you all know how the Ottoman empire had colonized a lot of countries in its prime. 
> 
> Anyways, hope you liked it! This was a monster of a chapter to write! I swear it wasn't going to be as long, but I always seem to get ahead of myself.

**Author's Note:**

> Translations: Turkish-English  
> Canim- My dear (term of endearment) (Turkish has A LOT of these)  
> Ama Anne- But Mom! (Ama: But; Anne: Mom)  
> Oğlum- My son (While also the literal term for 'my son', it also is a common way to refer to ones son while speaking to them)  
> *  
> Awwwwww. Eren really loves his brother, who also loves him just as much! I'll be honest part of the reason I wrote this story was for some jaegerbro love and bonding. There's not neerly enough in canon, and what little we have seems so one sided because Eren is off doing what Eren does (still love him tho). 
> 
> Anyways, hope ya'll enjoyed that! I'd love to hear your feedback!
> 
> (Also for all the ereris, ereri will not be explicitly shown or mentioned in this story, sorry to disappoint. BUT, I'm saving that for later in the series, because yes this is going to be a series. It got way too big and I got too invested, so I'm doing it : )


End file.
